From the music scholar Pat Thomas' new book, "Listen, Whitey!" about the Black Panther movement in Oakland.

From the music scholar Pat Thomas' new book, "Listen, Whitey!" about the Black Panther movement in Oakland.

Photo: Courtesy Of Fantagraphics Books

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From the music scholar Pat Thomas' new book, "Listen, Whitey!" about the Black Panther movement in Oakland.

From the music scholar Pat Thomas' new book, "Listen, Whitey!" about the Black Panther movement in Oakland.

Photo: Courtesy Of Fantagraphics Books

Image 3 of 4

Pat Thomas has written a book about the Black Panther movement, which started in Oakland and spread across the nation.

Pat Thomas has written a book about the Black Panther movement, which started in Oakland and spread across the nation.

Photo: Courtesy Of Pat Thomas

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Pat Thomas explores black power movement's clout

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Music producer and scholar Pat Thomas became intrigued by the Black Panthers when he moved to Oakland in 2000 and began to understand the impact a group of radicals had on reshaping the political and cultural landscape of their time. Thomas spent five years researching the Panthers and was struck not by the sociological influence or the dogmatic politics but by the impact on pop culture.

Thomas' new book, "Listen, Whitey! The Sights and Sounds of Black Power 1965-1975," has just been released with a CD of Black Panther poems, music and speeches.

"The book is unique in the sense there are plenty of books about the Black Panthers and black power," Thomas said, "but this book focuses really on the pop culture angle and yet still gives people a sense of what the movement was all about. It was a time when radicals and revolutionaries were considered pop culture icons, and musicians were considered revolutionaries."

We spoke with Thomas, who now lives in Seattle, over the phone. He will be in the Bay Area next week to read from his book.

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Q:Why was the 1967 picture of Huey Newton sitting in the oversize wicker chair, wearing a beret, and holding weapons such an iconic image?

A: Well, the short history is that Huey had been arrested on charges of murdering an Oakland policeman. The Free Huey movement wound up expanding into the hippie and white counterculture movement, as well as with those who were protesting the Vietnam War. A lot of white, middle-class kids began to embrace the Free Huey campaign. It became cross-cultural. You'd see the poster in college dorms, and you'd see it in the ghetto. It was a time when Rolling Stone magazine was in San Francisco, and it was as much about the political makeup of youth as it was about the music.

Q:I was amazed to read in your book that even the Partridge Family did an Afro-style pop tune.

A: The image of the Panther became something even Hollywood playfully played with. You had Tom Wolfe's book "Radical Chic," and you had folks like Leonard Bernstein hanging out with the Panthers. Everyone wanted to get close to the heat.

Q:Which musicians inspired the Black Panthers, and which were inspired by the Black Panthers?

A: I was really surprised to find out that Huey Newton was really into Bob Dylan, and when the Panthers started, besides having people read Chairman Mao's little red book, he also said he wanted everybody to listen to Dylan albums. Dylan played an important role. Thus the cover image of the book, of Newton holding a Dylan record cover.

Q:Tell me about the companion CD, which you put together based on rare recordings you found.

A: It has 16 tracks. It has Bob Dylan, some speeches, some music by Elaine Brown. A lot of the tracks or speeches had very limited releases at the time.

Q:Was the music for the black community or white community?

A: It really was for the black community. I do have Dylan and Lennon, but 90 percent of the recordings I write about in my book were made by blacks to be listened to by blacks. "Listen, Whitey!" is not technically correct, as it was really "Listen, my fellow brothers and sisters."

Q: You are white and writing about black power. Did you ever encounter any questioning over your interest or your legitimacy?

A: All the former members of the Black Panther Party treated me with respect and shared their knowledge and personal history with me, because they knew that my interest was genuine and sincere, that I had no hidden agenda, no political ax to grind. Frankly, I've found hipster indie-rock musicians to have more attitude when I've hung out with them.

Q:Has the word "revolution" lost its meaning today?

A: Yes, you hear things like Ford Motor produces a revolutionary style of driving, or there's a revolutionary new hair product. I think revolution has lost its oomph.

Q:What haven't I asked that's important to the book?

A: I want people to remember that the Panthers were not just about carrying guns. It's important for people to remember that it was an era when music was as important as politics, and politics was as important as music. And there was a warm-and-fuzzy side to the Panthers, the side that did incredible things for the community.